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How challenge rankings are calculated and updated

Pacer Support
  • Updated

Pacer challenge rankings are based on the challenge type (Steps, Distance, Pace, or Daily Step Goal) and the score rules set by the challenge organizer. Rankings update as participants’ activity data is recorded and synced.

 

How rankings are calculated (by challenge type)

1) Step Challenge (Most Steps Wins)

Ranking metric: Total steps counted toward the challenge score during the challenge window.

 

Important scoring rules:

  • Daily step limit (required): Only up to this number of steps per day can be added to the challenge score. Default is 30,000 steps/day, and the organizer can adjust it. 
  • Total step goal (optional): Shows progress toward a goal, but ranking is still based on the step score. Step goals can only be set in 10,000-step increments, and can’t be changed after publishing.

 

2) Distance Challenge (Farthest Distance Wins)

Ranking metric: Total distance counted toward the challenge score during the challenge window.

 

Important scoring rules:

  • Daily distance limit (required): Caps how much distance per day counts toward the score. Default is 20 km/day (~12.4 mi). 
  • Total distance goal (optional): Displayed in miles or kilometers (Pacer handles conversion). Goal can’t be changed after publishing. 
  • GPS-only option (optional): Organizer can require GPS-tracked activities only, excluding normal “24/7 pedometer” daily steps.

 

3) Pace Challenge (Best Pace Wins)

Ranking metric: Your best pace from a qualifying GPS activity (e.g., 5K/10K).

 

Important scoring rules:

  • Pace challenges require participants to record at least one outdoor GPS activity meeting a minimum qualifying distance. Default minimum is 5 km (~3.1 mi) and cycling is excluded. 
  • The minimum qualifying distance cannot be changed after publishing.

 

4) Daily Step Goal Challenge (Most “Goal Days” Wins)

Ranking metric: Points, where you earn 1 point per day if you meet or exceed the daily step goal.

 

Important scoring rules:

  • Max 1 point/day 
  • Default goal is 10,000 steps/day 
  • Daily step goal cannot be changed after publishing

 

How often rankings update

Rankings update when Pacer receives and processes your latest activity data. In practice, this means:

  • Your leaderboard position may update quickly, but it is not always instant—especially if your device restricts background refresh, or if your data comes from a third-party source (Apple Health / Google Fit / wearables). 
  • If you see a delay, open the app and ensure your device allows background activity and permissions.

 

Tip for admins: Rankings reflect the data that has been synced and counted under the challenge rules (including daily limits and GPS-only rules).

 

Challenge time windows and end-of-challenge handling

Public Challenges (in-app challenges)

  • A challenge’s start/end time is based on the creator’s time zone. Participants in other time zones can join, but their scoring begins and stops based on the creator’s time zone. 
  • Challenges are inclusive of end dates and end at 11:59:59 PM on the end date.

 

Pacer for Teams (enterprise challenges)

  • Challenges are measured by calendar day (midnight to midnight) and the system accounts for user time zones. 
  • The enterprise system allows an additional 12 hours after the scheduled end for participants to sync final data (after that, it won’t be counted).

 

What can (and can’t) change after a challenge is published

Cannot be changed after publishing:

  • Challenge type 
  • Start & end dates 
  • Total step goal / total distance goal 
  • GPS-only option (distance challenge) 
  • Minimum qualifying distance (pace challenge) 
  • Daily step goal (daily goal challenge)

 

Can be changed after publishing:

  • Challenge title 
  • Daily limits (step & distance challenges) 
  • Cover image, icon, brand color, description, etc.

 

Why my ranking isn’t updating (common causes)

  • You haven’t opened the app recently and your phone restricted background refresh 
  • Battery saver / low power mode is limiting updates 
  • Your steps come from Apple Health / Google Fit / a wearable and syncing is delayed 
  • The challenge has a daily limit and you already hit the cap for today 
  • The challenge requires GPS-only activities and your steps came from normal daily pedometer tracking

 

FAQ

If two people have the same score, how is the tie broken?

Pacer may apply internal tie-breakers depending on challenge type:

 

Step Challenge Tiebreakers: 

  • In the event of an even score, the first tiebreaker will be the number of steps tracked using GPS walk, run and hike activities. 
  • In the event that scores are still tied, the second tiebreaker will be total LIKES (hearts) from your competition ranking and from your competition posts. 
  • Competition posts are limited to 1 post per competition per day, so try to make each post meaningful and interesting.

 

Distance Challenge Tiebreaker: 

  • In the event of an even score, the first tiebreaker will be the amount of distance tracked using GPS walk, run and hike activities. 
  • In the event that scores are still tied, the second tiebreaker will be total LIKES (hearts) from your competition ranking and from your competition posts. 
  • Competition posts are limited to 1 post per competition per day, so try to make each post meaningful and interesting.

 

Daily Step Goal Challenge Tiebreakers: 

  • In the event of an even score, the first tiebreaker will be the number of steps tracked using GPS walk, run and hike activities. 
  • In the event that scores are still tied, the second tiebreaker will be total LIKES (hearts) from your competition ranking and from your competition posts. 
  • Competition posts are limited to 1 post per competition per day, so try to make each post meaningful and interesting.